Windshield wiper drive systems commonly employ an eccentric crank connecting an electric motor with a windshield wiper arm and blade for moving the arm and blade across a windshield between first and second end wipe positions. The motor tends to rotate at a constant speed in a single direction, with the eccentric crank causing the windshield wiper am and blade to reverse directions every 180.degree. of crank rotation. These direction reversals occur at the end wide positions and result in rapid deceleration and acceleration of the arm and blade assembly. This rapid accelerating and decelerating of the windshield wiper arms and blades at the reversal points results in noise, growth of the wipe pattern as the speed of the motor increases, and excessive expulsion of water from the side of the windshield. These effects become more pronounced as the speed of the motor increases. These effects are common to all types of windshield wiper systems in which the blade's direction of travel is reversed. Common windshield wiper configurations are tandem, symmetrical overlap, single arm, and single extending arm.
It is desired to provide a windshield wiper system which minimizes or reduces the above described inertial effects at reversal points.